Before winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, Chicago had waited 49 years following their win in 1961. / Rob Grabowski, USA TODAY Sports

by Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports

by Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports

CHICAGO - Blackhawks center Dave Bolland was born nearly 20 years after the NHL's Original Six era ended in 1967, yet he understands the historical romance of a Chicago-Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Final.

"It's huge for the league to have an Original Six Final," he said. "Growing up in Toronto, you want to play for Toronto, and I remember wanting to see the Original Six cities."

The best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final opens today in Chicago (8 p.m. ET, NBC) between two teams playing in the NHL before the Great Depression. The Bruins joined the league in 1924 and the Blackhawks in 1926.

This is the first time they've faced each other for the championship.

"It's hard to believe it hasn't happened in all of the years we have had a league," Blackhawks winger Bryan Bickell said. "These are two great cities, and there is going to be a lot of hype around the world."

The NHL had six teams - Boston, Chicago, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens - from 1942-43 until 1967-68, when the league expanded to 12 teams.

There hasn't been a Final with two Original Six teams since the Canadiens beat the Rangers in 1979.

When you go to an Original Six city, they go through ebbs and flows about how much they care about their team, but they always have knowledge about the team and they know the sport and appreciate the sport," Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference said.

Since the salary cap was introduced in 2005, the NHL has had seven different champions, but that will change because the Blackhawks won in 2010 and the Bruins won in 2011.

"They each have rich and storied histories and traditions, and they each have very passionate and energized fan bases that should lead to a very compelling and hopefully competitive series," said deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

NBC plans to air five of the potential seven games, and two will appear on NBC Sports Network. Jon Miller, NBC's president of programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network, said the presence of two top 10 TV markets, coupled with the Original Six story line, "looks promising for viewership."

"They also play clashing styles that should result in entertaining hockey," Miller said.